


Winners

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 20:16:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20981750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Noctis and Prompto are competitive.





	Winners

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

They’re right down to the end. Noctis can feel it in his veins. Victory’s so close that he can taste it, and he knows Prompto feels the same way. They look at each other behind the waist-high blockade they’re using for shelter, and even though it’s dark, he can see the light in Prompto’s blue eyes. They’re on _fire_. The glowing blue targets on their chests cast just enough of a halo across Prompto’s jaw to show the corners of his smile. Noctis nods, and they both scramble, darting out of opposite ends to dive for the next protective walls. The sound of a digital laser gun firing ricochets through the gaming center but doesn’t connect with either target. Noctis grins.

There’s only one team left standing. The other three are out—two groups of teenagers they didn’t know, and one group of Gladiolus and Ignis, who Noctis and Prompto went after first. That fight was as close to a bloodbath as a friendly game of laser tag could be. Gladiolus and Ignis are both trained soldiers at the top of their game, but Gladiolus is too huge and Ignis is too tall to take proper refuge behind the oblong shapes sticking out of the floor and walls. They eventually fell. Noctis and Prompto claimed their digital lives. Now it’s just two mystery strangers left—two unsuspecting fools who were unlucky enough to try for a game at the same time as their crown prince and his royal deputy. 

Footsteps echo down the corridor. Noctis tries to follow them and thinks he can figure out where they’re headed. He gestures across the way at Prompto, hovering his non-gun-toting hand over his frontal target to make sure Prompto can see it. Together, the two of them sprint after the retreating footsteps. Just when Noctis is about to glimpse his prey and figure out who he’s going to conquer, a shot flies over their heads, hitting a ceiling target and dimming the corridor. Noctis and Prompto both drop for cover behind two more blocks across from each other. Noctis’ heart is pounding. He registers where they are in the arena: a dead-end corner at the back. The other player’s trapped. Maybe both of them, if Noctis and Prompto get lucky. That free pizza dinner is definitely going to be theirs. 

“Kairi?”

Noctis whirls around, gun drawn, and _almost_ pulls the trigger.

Then he sees who it is coming around the corner—a little girl who can’t be more than seven. His hand freezes. Out the corner of his eye, he can see that Prompto's poised and ready too. The girl spots them and goes wide-eyed. 

Her friend calls back, “Selphie?” and sounds just as young and inexperienced as she is. 

Noctis glances at Prompto. Prompto’s face looks pale, and Noctis knows it’s not just the poor lighting—he thinks the colour has drained from him as well. It’d be one thing if they were fighting girls. But they’re fighting _little_ girls. Less than half their age. 

In that moment, an entire conversation passes through Noctis and Prompto without words. They both want to win _so badly_. It was all they talked about on the ride over. They were going to reign supreme and rub it in Gladiolus’ and Ignis’ faces, then eat their victory pizza in front of them without sharing. But they both know what they have to do now. Prompto bites his bottom lip, and Noctis slowly nods, giving his order as commander. 

Neither of them shoot. Noctis lowers his weapon just enough to expose his chest target. Selphie regains herself enough to shoot him. She misses once, but tries again.

His light blinks out. Selphie shouts, “Kairi!” And Kairi zooms around the corner, whirling about and throwing off three shots before she finally manages to hit Prompto in the chest. Prompto fake-screams, clutches his stomach, and drops to the floor. Selphie looks horrified, but Kairi giggles.

Prompto reaches a trembling arm out to Noctis and gasps, “Noct, I’ve been hit! Go on without me.”

Noctis rolls his eyes as the lights come on. Victory music starts playing from the speakers, and the bored voice of the teenager at the front desk drones, _“Congratulations to team three—Selphie and Cary.”_

Selphie shouts, “Kairi!” at the nearest speaker. 

_“Please come to the front desk to collect your prize.”_

Another voice breaks in, _“Kairi? This is your grandmother, sweetie! I told him to say ‘happy birthday,’ but he didn’t, so happy birthday!”_

_“Ma’am, you can’t use the speaker.”_

_“Well, evidently I can, because I just did. Which I wouldn’t have had to if you’d read this out like I asked.”_

_“Look, I get minimum wage, okay?”_

_“Well, you’re not earning it! I gave you very simple instructions, and you couldn’t even—”_

Ignis’ voice interjects, _“Could I be of assistance, Ma’am? And might I suggest that we turn off the microphone before continuing this conversation?”_

_“Oh, my, what a polite young man... you know, this whippersnapper could learn a thing or tw—”_ The speaker cuts off with a screech. Kairi and Selphie start giggling, then run off towards the exit. 

Prompto flails on the floor and groans, “Noct, I’m wounded! You’ll have to carry me back!”

Noctis rolls his eyes again but holsters his gun and comes over. Taking Prompto’s hand, he drags Prompto after the girls and the promise of not-free-anymore pizza.


End file.
